Side Strain Rules Mystery Spinner Varun Chakaravarthy Out of 2026 Asian Games, Vipraj Nigam Called Up

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a major injury setback for the national men's cricket team ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of both the one-off T20I against Japan and the entire Asian Games tournament after suffering a left lateral abdominal side strain. Uncapped leg-spinning all-rounder Vipraj Nigam has been selected by the Men's Selection Committee as his official replacement in the squad. Chakaravarthy developed the abdominal discomfort while bowling his third over during India's opening T20I match against Afghanistan in New Delhi. Although the 35-year-old managed to complete his quota of four overs, conceding just 16 runs and taking a wicket, medical scans subsequently confirmed a muscle strain requiring a period of rehabilitation. Consequently, he was ruled out of the remainder of the Afghanistan series and the continental games in Japan. In a related squad adjustment, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was withdrawn from the Asian Games roster to participate in the upcoming home One Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies. Led by Shreyas Iyer, the Indian men's cricket squad will kick off its Asian Games campaign in the quarterfinal stage on September 28. The absence of Chakaravarthy leaves India relying on young spin options as they target a gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya.